Operational characteristics and power scaling of a transverse flow transversely excited CW CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser

Transverse flow transversely excited (TFTE) CO₂ lasers are easily scalable to multikilowatt level. The laser power can be scaled up by increasing the volumetric gas flow and discharge volume. It was observed in a TFTE CW CO₂ laser having single row of pins as an anode and tubular cathode that the laser power was not increasing when the discharge volume and the gas volumetric flow were increased by increasing the electrode separation keeping the gas flow velocity constant. The discharge voltage too remained almost constant with the change of electrode separation at the same gas flow velocity. This necessitated revision of the scaling laws for designing this type of high power CO₂ laser. Experimental results of laser performance for different electrode separations are discussed and the modifications in the scaling laws are presented.     

Chemically modified proton‐conducting membranes based on sulfonated polyimides: Improved water stability and fuel‐cell performance

A series of branched/crosslinked sulfonated polyimide (B/C‐SPI) membranes were prepared and evaluated as proton‐conducting ionomers based on the new concept of in situ crosslinking from sulfonated polyimide (SPI) oligomers and triamine monomers. Chemical branching and crosslinking in SPI oligomers with 1,3,5‐tris(4‐aminophenoxy)benzene as a crosslinker gave the polymer membranes very good water stability and mechanical properties under an accelerated aging treatment in water at 130 °C, despite their high ion‐exchange capacity (2.2–2.6 mequiv g^?1). The resulting polymer electrolytes displayed high proton conductivities of 0.2–0.3 S cm^?1 at 120 °C in water and reasonably high conductivities of 0.02–0.03 S cm^?1 at 50% relative humidity. In a single H₂/O₂ fuel‐cell system at 90 °C, they exhibited high fuel‐cell performances comparable to those of Nafion 112. The B/C‐SPI membranes also displayed good performances in a direct methanol fuel cell with methanol concentrations as high as 50 wt % that were superior to those of Nafion 112. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3751–3762, 2006     

Investigation of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone sulfone)/heteropolyacid composite membranes for high temperature fuel cell applications

The sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone sulfone) (SPEEKS)/heteropolyacid (HPA) composite membranes with different HPA content in SPEEKS copolymers matrix with different degree of sulfonation (DS) were investigated for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Composite membranes were characterized by Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR band shifts suggested that the sulfonic acid groups on the copolymer backbone strongly interact with HPA particles. SEM pictures showed that the HPA particles were uniformly distributed throughout the SPEEKS membranes matrix and particle sizes decreased with the increment of copolymers' DS. The holes were not found in SPEEKS‐4/HPA30 (consisting of 70% SPEEKS copolymers with DS = 0.8 and 30% HPA) composite membrane after composite membranes were treated with boiling water for 24 h. Thermal stabilities of the composite membranes were better than those of pure sulfonated copolymers membranes. Although the composite membranes possessed lower water uptake, it exhibited higher proton conductivity for SPEEKS‐4/HPA30 especially at high temperature (above 100 °C). Its proton conductivity linearly increased from 0.068 S/cm at 25 °C to 0.095 S/cm at 120 °C, which was higher than 0.06 S/cm of Nafion 117. In contrast, proton conductivity of pure SPEEKS‐4 membrane only increased from 0.062 S/cm at 25 °C to 0.078 S/cm at 80 °C. At 120 °C, proton conductivity decreased to poor 0.073 S/cm. The result indicated that composite membranes exhibited high proton conductivity at high temperature. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1967–1978, 2006     

Sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s containing fluorinated moieties as proton exchange membrane materials

A series of sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s statistical copolymers with high molecular weights were synthesized via an aromatic nucleophilic substitution polymerization. The sulfonation content (SC), defined as the number of sulfonic acid groups contained in an average repeat unit, could be controlled by the feed ratios of monomers. Flexible and strong membranes in sodium sulfonate form could be prepared by the solution casting method, and readily transformed to their proton forms by treating them in 2 N sulfuric acid. The polymers showed high T_gs, which increased with an increase in SC. Membranes prepared from the present sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone ketone) copolymers containing the hexafluoroisopropylidene moiety (SPEEKK‐6F) and copolymers containing the pendant 3,5‐ditrifluoromethylphenyl moiety (SPEEKK‐6FP) had lower water uptakes and lower swelling ratios in comparison with previously prepared copolymers containing 6F units. All of the polymers possessed proton conductivities higher than 1 × 10^?2 S/cm at room temperature, and proton conductivity values of several polymers were comparable to that of Nafion at high relative humidity. Their thermal stability, oxidative stability, and mechanical properties were also evaluated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2299–2310, 2006     

Theoretical and computational studies of vectorial processes in biomolecular systems

Efficient vectorial processes such as the transduction of bioenergy and signals are characteristics that strikingly distinguish living systems from inanimate materials. Recent developments in biophysical and biochemical techniques have provided new information about the structure, dynamics and interaction of biomolecules involved in vectorial life processes at multiple length and temporal scales. This wealth of data makes it possible to carry out theoretical and computational studied of key mechanistic questions associated with complex life processes at an unprecedented level. Using two “vectorial biomolecular machines”, myosin and cytochrome c oxidase, as examples, we discuss the identification of interesting and biologically relevant questions that require thorough theoretical analysis. Technical challenges and recent progress related to these theoretical investigations are briefly summarized     

激发态分子内质子转移分子2－（2′－羟基苯基）间氮杂氧茚“染料”激光特性的实验和理论研究

报道了以Ｎ２激光为泵浦光源，获得激发态分子内质子转移（ＥＳＩＰＴ）分子ＨＢＯ的激光输出现象。其激光转换效率约为１７％，调谐范围为４９５～５４０ｎｍ，最强的输出波长在５１０ｎｍ。以ＨＢＯ的激发态分子内质子转移的光物理和光化学过程为基础，建立了ＨＢＯ产生激光的动态模型，数值模拟了在宽带和窄带情况下激光输出的光谱特性和时间特性，理论计算值与实验观测值很好相符，同时证实了激发态分子内质子转移分子的激光脉冲宽度依赖于激发态分子内质子转移分子的酮式异构体的基态Ｓ′０的寿命     

Pressure and temperature effects on the excess deuteron and proton conductance

The limiting molar conductances ° of deuterium chloride DCl in D₂O were determined as a function of pressure and temperature in order to examine the proton-jump mechanism in detail. The excess deuteron conductances °_E(D ⁺), as estimated by the equation [°_E(D ⁺) = °(DCl/D ₂ O) – °(KCl/D ₂ O)], increases with an increase in the pressure and temperature as well as the excess proton conductance [°_E(H ⁺) = °(HCl/H ₂ O) – °(KCl/H ₂ O)]. The isotope effect on the excess conductances, however, depends on the pressure and temperature contrary to the model proposed by Conway et al.: °_E(H ⁺)/°_E(D ⁺) decreases with increasing pressure and temperature. The magnitude of the decrease with pressure becomes more prominent at lower temperature. These results are discussed in terms of the pre-rotation of adjacent water molecules, the bending of hydrogen bonds with pressure, and the difference in strength of hydrogen bonds between D₂O and H₂O.     

ZnS:Tm的薄膜电致发光及激发过程

用电子束蒸发的方法制备了传统的双绝缘层的ZnS:Tm的薄膜电致发光器件，对其电致发光谱进行分析，在光致发光中，Tm离子受到基质ZnS的无辐射能量传递，而在电致发光中，Tm被过热电子碰撞激发而非能量传递，在所研制的电致发光器件中，稀土TmF3掺杂浓度不同，器件的发光性能也不同，在双绝缘层的ZnS:Tm的薄膜电致发光器件的基础上，改变器件的结构，发现器件的蓝光发射与红光发射之比增加，并对Tm离子可能的发光机理进行了探讨。     

Comparison of the Dynamics of Water Molecules in Crystals of Proton-Ordered Ice IX and Its Proton-Disordered Analog III

A computer simulation of proton-ordered ice IX and its proton-disordered analog III (768 molecules, 90 K) was carried out by the molecular dynamics method using Poltev–Malenkov's potential. For ice IX, the differences in the dynamic characteristics of molecules with O(1) and O(2) are much wider than those in the case of ice III. The libration spectrum of ice IX has a number of distinct acute peaks, and the spectrum of ice III is strongly smoothed. These peculiarities are explained by the proton ordering of ice IX and disordering of ice III. The latter is responsible for the great differences in the short- and especially long-range environment of water molecules in ice crystals and hence for the presence of many molecules with different dynamic characteristics. Thus averaging over a large number of different vibrational spectra of molecules leads to a smoothed total spectrum in the case of the proton-disordered crystal modification of ice.     

Stabilization of Graphite Nitrate by Intercalation of Organic Compounds

New thermally stable intercalation compounds of graphite were obtained by the further intercalation of a series of organic compounds into graphite nitrate. The stabilization is explained by the formation of hydrogen bonds between the protonated form of the modifying substance and neutral surrounding molecules.